Out of the Silent Galaxy
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: Yoda and some companions encounter Malacandra, and become acquainted with the spirituality of Oyarsa, the sentient species, and the planet itself.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars or C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. I'm just having a little fun with them.

* * *

_**Out of the Silent Galaxy**_

It was amazing, what these people could do with their purity of souls.

He had seen many worlds in his long life. Coruscant was a comfortable home for his Order, but he admired many other planets, too. That Rugosa moon was beautiful as a moon that was once an ocean world that had dried up, but had left behind many coral reefs that were very colorful and luminescent. Kashyyyk was a world alive with the Living Force, and many Jedi felt at home there. And once he had secretly visited a swamp world called Dagobah that had been erased from the Archives on purpose. He had promised himself that if tragic circumstances called for it, he would make it into his new home.

But this planet was particularly unique. He had come there through a wormhole in space along with Luminara Unduli, Commander Gree, Ahsoka Tano, and Obi-Wan Kenobi that had opened up in deep space during a hyperspace jump. The world was called "Malacandra" by its inhabitants, and had a red atmosphere. The atmosphere was thin and difficult to breathe in most locations, but the surface of the planet was enchanting in its beauty.

There were lakes and rivers throughout the hospitable area they had landed in, and the water in the lakes was pure blue, not just blue in certain shades of light, but _really_ blue. There were tall, long necked animals stretching their necks and standing on their hind legs to eat from high purple plants. The trees were like strong pylons, irregular in height and grouped in a disorderly fashion. Eventually, he figured out that they were actually mountains. And when he tested the water for nutrition, it was warm, like the swamp water on Dagobah was.

Master Yoda walked the forests of Malacandra with his three companions and a squad of clones enjoying the sights until one of the natives informed him that they were expected. The alien called himself a _hross_, named Hnoh, and he was an amphibious seal-like being, covered in sleek, brown fur. He brought them to another group of aliens, tall, lanky humanoids covered in feathers, which were called _seroni_. Their leader was named Arkal. They gave him and his companions a ride to the place called Meldilorn to meet the ruler of the planet.

On the way there, Arkal asked some questions about the galaxy Yoda and the others came from. Obi-Wan and Luminara gave a description of the galaxy and some of its planets, like Coruscant, Alderaan, Kashyyyk, Utapau, Kamino, Tatooine, and Ilum. They also gave him a lesson on the general history of the Galactic Republic. Then Luminara and Gree described the conflict that had hit the galaxy known as the Clone Wars, as well as the Confederacy of Independent Systems and its cause. Finally, Ahsoka and Gree told Arkal about the differences between the goals of the Republic and the Separatists (arguing a little with each other about the possibility of the Confederacy being partly good) while Yoda told him about the power of the Force, both Unifying and Living, and the Jedi and the Sith that served it or made it serve them.

Arkal then voiced some of his concerns about their galaxy's history. He was fascinated by the concept of the Force, and said something about the Force possibly being a galactic _Maleldil_. They all wondered what that meant. He also said that he couldn't understand why a Republic would declare a galactic war on a Confederacy that was dissatisfied with the Republic's corruption. He said that the Republic should reform itself, or that the Confederacy should be embraced. Ahsoka, who had first-hand experience with a few good Separatists, explained that there were good and bad people on both sides of the war, and the politics of the war were not black-and-white. Gree grimaced at this, but held his tongue. Arkal said that the universe had to be black-and-white, because there were goods and evils that were absolute in the cosmos, and that his _eldil_ could explain why.

Eventually, they came to Meldilorn, and were introduced to a being that was like nothing they had ever seen before; even Ahsoka's view of the Ones from Mortis didn't quite equal this. He was beyond description, but even Yoda felt small and inferior compared to him. The god-like person introduced himself as Oyarsa, the _eldil_ of Malacandra. When Ahsoka asked him what it meant, he said he was a spirit-like creature who ruled the planet they stood on. He already knew somehow about the galaxy they had come from, and talked about how the _Maleldil_, the ruler of the universe, was all benevolent and all-powerful and controlled all things that happened everywhere. He also went on to explain what life was like on Malacandra for its three intelligent, sentient species, calling them the _hrossa_, the _seroni_, and the _pfifltriggi_. That last name was a real tongue twister for Ahsoka. Commander Gree paid especially close attention to the descriptions of the cultures and customs of those races, while Yoda, Obi-Wan and Luminara found his talk about the _eldil_ and the _M__aleldil _interesting to hear about.

During this conversation, Yoda and his friends started to learn a few instructive things about this planet they were on.

The sentient species of this planet were living in harmony with each other, but there was more to it than just that. Yoda perceived that they were all delightful to be around, like the perfect sapient creatures. Under the rule of the Oyarsa, they were unfallen creatures, and by that, it meant that they had never been exposed to the evils of so many other places in the universe, including a neighboring planet they called Thulcandra, or "the silent planet." It brought almost the entire galaxy the Jedi and the clones had come from to shame, seeing how fallen the galactic citizens and the Senate had become, not to mention the atrocities of the Confederacy (and the Republic for Ahsoka) and the complacency of many of the Jedi. These people also had talents like many in their galaxy far, far away also had, but they used them for the joy of living, not for war purposes. The _hrossa _were very gifted in making poetry, though they didn't write it down, believing that books ruined words and poems, and they were also talented in the performing arts, like dancing, and were excellent farmers and fishermen. The _seroni_ were the scholars and thinkers of Malacandra, and specialized in science and abstract learning. And the _pfifltriggi_ were builders and technicians, making houses and gadgets thought up by the _seroni_, mining for "sun's blood" (gold) and other useful minerals, and even sculpting art out of stone. And the wild flora and fauna lived freely with very little danger of death and destruction. It was so harmonious that it left their worlds looking in a real state of a mess, thought Oyarsa commented that a few of their planets, like Alderaan and possibly Utapau, were close to unfallen and more righteous than many other worlds, especially Coruscant.

And because the Jedi did not want to contaminate Malacandra with the dirty ways of their galaxy and its war, they soon reached a decision.

They had to get back home.

Oyarsa said he could send them back at any time, but he invited them to stay for one standard week, saying that they were not as fallen as many others from their galaxy were, and could become acquainted with the _hrossa_, _seroni_, and _pfifltriggi_. However, he also said after they left, there would be no coming back, but he told them to tell their Order and their Senate about Malacandra's races and how they lived in peace without any war technology or political tension, and if possible, to extend a hand to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, too, and figure out who truly caused the Clone Wars, and bring peace and harmony back to their silent galaxy, as he called it.

* * *

Over the course of that week, the Jedi and the clones made a few friendly acquaintances in the form of the sentient species and even a few of the fauna. Ahsoka took a liking to a _pfifltrigg_ named Parakataru, who showed her some gadgets that could easily provide foodstuffs for anyone, including starving people, as well as heal mortal wounds, even with painless surgery, give educational courses about philology, the study of languages, and even something that could repair a weapon like a lightsaber that Oyarsa had commanded him to construct before the Jedi's arrival. There were many other ingenious gadgets, and Parakataru and some of his fellow _pfifltriggi_ offered them to Ahsoka and the clones as free gifts, saying that their technology was used for peaceful purposes, and that perhaps they could help end the Clone War if used properly. Parakataru even made a sculpture of Ahsoka, the other Jedi and some of the troopers, in memory of their visit to Malacandra, though he said that it represented the fallen nature of their galaxy. Ahsoka initially found the _pfifltriggi's_ appearance of frog-like bodies and tapir-like heads very funny, but she got over it before any of them could take offense. A trooper named Cooker said he liked the look of a small machine that made the best tea he had ever tasted, saying that he only ever got water to drink most of the time as a clone trooper, and a _pfifltrigg_ let him have it.

Obi-Wan, meanwhile, found a friend in Arkal, the _sorn_ who gave them a ride to Meldilorn to see Oyarsa. This gangly but highly intelligent creature told him all about the history of the languages of Malacandra, and how in contemporary times, they all mostly spoke the language of the _hrossa_. Commander Gree, who loved learning about alien species, was having the time of his life there, but like Obi-Wan, he was particularly interested in learning the languages, too. Arkal painstakingly taught the Commander and General Kenobi the basics of the languages, and told them how the _hrossa_ could teach them Old Sonar. Obi-Wan felt that he had just made another milestone in his career as a peacekeeper, befriending three alien species without using the threat of war to get through to them.

As for Luminara and Yoda, Luminara spent some time with Hnoh the _hross_, while Yoda went to a walk each day to contemplate the flora and fauna of the world of Malacandra. Luminara found it interesting, and tragic, about how, during a visit from a good human from Thulcandra named Ransom, two other men who opposed him shot and killed another _hross_ named Hyoi, whom Ransom had just met. And Yoda said that this planet reminded him of several planets he had been to in his own galaxy, like Kashyyyk, Alderaan, and of course, Dagobah. Although he couldn't sense the Force here the same way he did back home, Malacandra seemed to shine with the Force in a divine way. None of the animals, _hrossa_, _seroni_, or _pfifltriggi _were Force-sensitive, and yet they seemed to glow with an inner light. The Force was evidently quite alive and happy within them all. He only wished that the same could be said for the present-generation Jedi, and the non-Force using people of that time, too.

As they all got ready to leave at the end of the week, Oyarsa's final words to them were to swear that they would always hold true to the lessons they learned from him and his people in their own galaxy, so that perhaps, all impurity and corruption would be removed and the holy _Maleldil_ would forgive them all for their transgression into unjust war and hallow them in his eternal kingdom after passing on. The Jedi and clones had heard that this had something to do with a joyful afterlife in a place called "heaven," and though they didn't fully understand it, Oyarsa assured them that one day, it would all become clear.

Luminara offered a respectful goodbye to Hnoh, who gave her a bear hug that she thought might crush her, but the _hross _was surprisingly gentle. Ahsoka hugged her _pfifltrigg_ friend, Parakataru, wishing that the Force be with him, and the common clones saluted the other _pfifltriggi_, who didn't understand the salute, but graciously acknowledged it anyway. Obi-Wan and Gree thanked the _hrossa_ and the _seroni_ for their time, saying that they would never forget them. The aliens said the same to them.

Yoda was last to say goodbye. He looked around at the small assembly of _seroni_, _hrossa_, and _pfifltriggi_ standing around him, with the wise Oyarsa sitting in his throne before him. He was fully convinced by now that these were positively the best extraterrestrial sentient species he had ever encountered in his long life, and said so to Oyarsa.

"Amazing, is your world, mighty Oyarsa," the little Jedi Master said, "Never before, seen such peaceful and domesticated races of people, have I. May it never be tainted by any form of evil, or the dark side of the Force."

"So long as _Maleldil_ rules on his throne, he shall see to it that we are protected from what happened to the silent planet, as well as to your silent galaxy," Oyarsa said. "And his kingdom is eternal."

Yoda gazed up at the ethereal being. So did his kneeling companions. "Then, more hope for the goodness of the galaxy and the souls of its citizens, there is."

"I must warn you all," said Oyarsa in a strong voice, "Not all go to _Maleldil's_ kingdom after death. Many corrupted people descend to his prison for the evil eldil who rebelled against him so long ago. But stay true to our Lord, goodness, and the mystical Force, and you may indeed have hope."

"Thank you, I do, Oyarsa," said Yoda, bowing his head, "May the Force be with you."

"And may _Maleldil_ be with you, as well," said Oyarsa.

And with that, the Jedi and the clone troopers were whisked away, back to the exact time and place where they had left, and brought with them the message of a planet, its people, and its ruler beyond the galaxy's wildest dreams.


End file.
